Our Views: Vermilion acts for students

The arrival of exchange students in this country should be cause for celebration.

Unfortunately, as an Associated Press investigation revealed, some foreign students are brought into the country by host families who either neglect their needs or, worse, mistreat the students. One of the largest nonprofits sponsoring foreign students is based in San Diego. It has been suspended by the State Department but is appealing the decision.

While it is a small part of the larger story, one of the jurisdictions that acted to protect the interests of the foreign students was Vermilion Parish. School officials were alarmed by mistreatment of students by some host families and banned the San Diego company from further student placements in its system.

A teacher took in one of the students because the teen was being mistreated by the host family, according to Superintendent Randy Schexnayder. We commend the actions of Schexnayder and Vermilion Parish’s school board. We hope their actions will help clean up the abuses.